Keepsake
by wara ningyo
Summary: one ring. one finger. one person's heartbreak. the damage is done, was it too late to realize that 'the one' had been standing in front of him all this time? TezukaxFuji


Hello again! Another TezukaFuji fic from me ^^v This time I decided to go for a short one, since I had a bunch of unfinished assignments on my desk . Anyway, enjoy the fic, happy reading!

Disclaimer: PoT is not mine TT_TT

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It took a ring to create riot among the Seigaku Tennis Club regulars on one sunny morning. Tezuka had came into the clubroom to change and when he was folding his school uniform, a ring fell from the pocket and landed on the floor.

"Hoi, hoi! Tezuka dropped a ring nya!" Eiji jumped from where he was standing and picked up the ring between his thumb and finger.

"I didn't know you wore jewelry, Tezuka." Oishi looked at the buchou.

"It wasn't mine."Cleared Tezuka. It was my grandmother's keepsake. Tezuka sighed. He had totally forgotten about the ring. That morning during breakfast, his mother gave him a ring. It was given to her by his grandmother when she married his father and now the ring is destined for Tezuka's future bride.

"But mother, I'm still in middle school." Tezuka remembered his conversation with his mother.

"I know. But I think it's time you keep it. Besides, it no longer fit on my finger." His mother placed it on his palm and gently patted his shoulder. Tezuka didn't object any further. He slipped the ring into the pocket of his trousers and left for school which led them to the current situation.

"That's a very nice ring." Fuji joined the curious crew.

"Hoi, hoi Fujiko, give me your hand!" Eiji knelt facing the tensai. "Fuji, would you marry me?" Eiji mimicked Tezuka's expression and proposed to Fuji. He slid the ring carefully onto Fuji's left ring finger. The brunette giggled and played along with Eiji.

Tezuka glared sharply at his two teammates. "Kikumaru, Fuji." Tezuka called with his extra stern voice. "The ring. Off. Now."

"Nyaa…Tezuka is scary!"

"Sorry Tezuka, here's your…"Fuji attempted to pull the ring off his finger. "That's weird, it won't come off." Fuji pulled harder. Tezuka frowned. Fuji wasn't fooling around, was he?

"Hoi, hoi, let me try that!" Eiji stepped in front of Fuji and grabbed his hand. "Urrgghh…it's so tight nyaa!" The redhead tried to force the ring off his friend. After Eiji, Oishi offered to help but the ring just wont come off. The other regulars tried too but their efforts are futile.

"Kawamura-senpai, here." Echizen who had been watching since the beginning handed a racket to the bipolar tennis player.

Kawamura took the racket and his personality instantly changed. "Come on, baby!" He swung the racket in one hand and pulled the ring off Fuji's with another.

"Taka-san, that hurts!" Fuji yelped. The ring just won't budge from Fuji's finger.

"Maybe the ring would come of it you wash your hand with soap." The fuku-buchou suggested.

"As expected from Seigaku's mother hen." Inui said, scribbling data in his notebook. "Only you can come up with something like that."

Fuji walked toward the fountain outside of the clubhouse and washed his hands with soap. No matter how much foam the soap formed, the ring stayed intact on Fuji's long slim fingers. Tezuka who had been observing from the beginning said nothing. He only wanted the ring back before people got the wrong idea about him and Fuji.

Tezuka doesn't need to say anything for Fuji to know what was in his head. The fact that the ring ended up on a guy's ring finger instead of a girl's brought discomfort to him. "I'm so sorry Tezuka, why don't you start the morning practice. I'd figure out how to get this ring off me." Fuji said apologetically.

"Ah..." replied Tezuka. He left the fountain where they were gathering and called for the practice.

The regulars tailed their buchou. Eiji however, remained by his best friend's side. "Ne Fuji, why did you try so hard to take off that ring?" He said in a low voice so that no one could hear. "That ring was meant for someone who Tezuka will marry. Aren't you happy you can keep it?"

Fuji smiled, even though it looked as if it was forced. "It's for Tezuka's future bride, which is obviously not me." Eiji was about to say something for a reply when he heard Tezuka called him from the courts. Hell, he's going to make him run extra laps for each second he was late.

Fuji tried everything - from soaps to lotions, from power people like Taka-san to softies like Sakuno in order to pull the ring off his finger. He wanted to return the ring because that finger of his was not meant for the exclusive jewelry of Tezuka's family. That ring was special because Tezuka will give it to the person who he will spend the rest of his life with and he knew that lucky person will take a very good care of it.

It was the first time Fuji missed afternoon and morning practice in one day. He didn't join the regulars' training because he was afraid that he would damage the ring accidentally during their vigorous routines. Fuji sat on the ground with his back leant to the wall. He raised his left hand in front of his face and stared at the delicate piece of ornament on his ring finger. It was made from pure silver with a small sapphire embedded on it. The ring is classic, unique in its own way.

"No luck?" A familiar voice startled him. Tezuka had returned from Ryuzaki-sensei's office. The other club members and regulars had left the school ground since practice was over half an hour ago. Fuji had stayed behind.

The brunette shook his head. "I've tried everything but nothing worked."

"Maybe we should go to a silversmith and see if they can break the ring."

"No!" Fuji's voice shot up by a few pitch higher than the usual. "It was your grandmother's keepsake, I.. we can't allow any damage on it." Fuji controlled his tone and spoke normally. He had grown attached to the ring.

Tezuka sighed as he sat down next beside Fuji on the ground. He stole a glance at Fuji's finger where the ring circled perfectly. It looked good on the boy's beautifully carved fingers, Tezuka thought. "Can I take a look at it?" Tezuka asked Fuji's permission.

"Of course, it's yours to begin with." Tezuka observed the ring which occupied Fuji's long, slim finger. "It's your turn to try now." The suggestion came out of the blue. "Come to think of it, you're the only one who hasn't tried to take it off me." The tensai pointed it out.

Tezuka gave it a thought and secured his thumb and finger on the ring. Slowly, he pulled the ring as it loosened from its position until the metal finally left the boy's fingertip. That moment, Tezuka swore he heard something like shattered glasses, only the glasses were Fuji's heart. "I guess the ring wanted its owner to do the honor of taking it off." The brunette joked, struggling with the remaining pride he still had left.

"Fuji…"

"I'll go get change now." Fuji stood up and walked into the clubroom. Tezuka didn't move from the ground and study closely at his grandmother's memento. The silver metal looked elegant on Fuji and Tezuka just realized that the sapphire complementing it was the exact hue as the ones of his friend's eyes. The ring had found its owner, which is why it refused to let go. Tezuka was too blind to see and snatched it away from the person who deserved it.

**-owari-**

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**A/N:** I actually had lost my interest in completing this fic however, when I bought a novel today and finished it just now, it urged me to write. It's angsty and the ending was sad. It made me cry which is why I decided this fic should end the same way . I would really appreciate some, I mean a lot of reviews ^^ but the most important thing is that readers enjoyed reading this ^^.


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